Gerbera plant named ‘Garlayla Imp.’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gerbera  plant named ‘Garlayla Imp.’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; dense and bushy appearance; numerous inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets arranged on upright and strong scapes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Gerbera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GARLAYLA IMP.’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Garlayla Imp.’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Gerbera plants with numerous inflorescences, good garden performance, frost tolerance and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Gerbera plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Gerbera hybrida ‘Garlayla’, not patented. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Garlayla’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in April, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by cuttings and by tissue culture in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since September, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Garlayla Imp.’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Garlayla Imp.’ as a new and distinct Gerbera plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Numerous inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets.     -   4. Upright and strong scapes.     -   5. Good garden performance, relatively tolerant to rain, wind         and low temperatures.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the parent, ‘Garlayla’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are more vigorous than plants of         ‘Garlayla’.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger leaves than plants of         ‘Garlayla’.     -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Garlayla’.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerbera hybrida ‘Garlisa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,804. Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of ‘Garlisa’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera have narrower leaves than plants of         ‘Garlisa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera and ‘Garlisa’ differ in ray floret         shape as plants of ‘Garlisa’ have narrowly elliptic-shaped ray         florets.     -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera and ‘Garlisa’ differ slightly in         ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Gerbera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gerbera plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Garlayla Imp.’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn and early winter in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Gerbera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 16° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Rooted young tissue-cultured plants were five months old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gerbera hybrida ‘Garlayla Imp.’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Gerbera     hybrida ‘Garlayla’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 2.5 to 3             weeks at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About five to six weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to             26° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennials that are typically grown             as container or garden plants; compact and uniformly             mounding plant habit, broadly upright and roughly globular             in shape; numerous leaves arranged in basal rosettes and             outwardly arching; dense and bushy habit; inflorescences             held above the foliar plane on erect and strong basal             scapes; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 21.5             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About             36.9 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 51.4 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 20.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 10.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong to narrowly ovate; runcinate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Coarsely and irregularly angulate; sinuses             divergent; undulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Densely tomentose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Between 141A and             143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143A to             143B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Slightly darker             than between 139A and 147A; venation, close to 144A. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144A to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 8.6 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower             surface: Moderately pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close             to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A; proximally,             tinged with close to 199A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Composite inflorescence form with             oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences             borne on upright and strong scapes above the foliar plane;             ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about three months             after planting; under garden conditions in The Netherlands,             plants flower from spring to late summer; plants can be             flowered year-round in the greenhouse.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Depending on the temperature,             inflorescences last about two weeks on the plant;             inflorescences not persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about 18 open and developing inflorescences per plant at one             time.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.8 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 143B to 143C;             towards the apex, close to 150C tinged with close to 179C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.7 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.4 cm. Diameter of disc: About 2.6 cm. Receptacle             height: About 4 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 5 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 145D and 157D.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 50 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Orientation:             About 60° from vertical. Length: About 2.9 cm. Width: About             7 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Retuse to praemorse. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly velvety; slightly longitudinally ridged. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 61A to 61B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 174C. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 61B; color becoming closer to 64A with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 59D;             color becoming closer to 70B with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 200 massed at             center of receptacle. Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About             4 mm. Shape: Tubular. Apex: Acute; upper 22.5%, free. Base:             Lower 77.5%, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, prior to opening: Apex:             Close to 4C. Mid-section: Close to 35C. Base: Close to 8C to             8D. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to 155A strongly tinged             with close to 63B to 63C especially along the apical             margins. Mid-section and base: Close to 155A. Color, fully             opened: Apex: Close to 155A tinged with close to 63B to 63C.             Mid-section and base: Close to 155A.         -   Pappus.—Quantity of hairs per floret: About 50. Length:             About 6 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Soft. Color:             Close to 155A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 60 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Length: About             1.4 cm. Width (at base): About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Moderately tomentose. Color, upper surface: Close             to 143B. Color, lower surface: Close to 143A.         -   Scapes.—Length: About 31.7 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm;             distally, about 3.5 mm. Angle: About 15° from vertical.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Moderately tomentose. Color:             Between 143B and 144A; distally, close to 143A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets             only): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             6 mm. Filament color: Close to 155A. Anther shape:             Lanceolate. Anther length: About 3.5 mm. Anther color: Close             to 12A and 13A; apex, close to 148C. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 16A. Gynoecium (present             only on ray florets): Quantity per floret: One. Pistil             length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Cleft. Stigma color:             Close to 8D. Style length: About 1.05 cm. Style color: Close             to N155C. Ovary color: Close to 155A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Gerbera. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Gerbera plants has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera     grown under commercial production conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to     have good garden performance and to be relatively tolerant to wind     and rain. Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to tolerate     high temperatures about 35° C. and to be cold hardy to USDA     Hardiness Zone 6. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘Garlayla Imp.’ as illustrated and described. 